and unsceming, beautiful and enchanting. He was employed by Lord Cobham in improving the grounds at Stowe, and afterwards at Richmond, Blenheim, Luton, Wimbledon, &c. He successfully exploded the old, stiff, unnatural Dutch style of gardening, and introduced an improved fashion that prevailed for nearly half a century. His works discover a highly cultivated taste, and have commanded the admiration both of Englishmen and foreigners. He associated familiarly with many of his noble and opulent employers, and realized a handsome fortune. In 1759 he was appointed head gardener to King George II. at Hampton Court. In 1770, he served the office of High Sheriff for the counties of Huntingdon and Cambridge; and died suddenly in Hertford Street, May-fair, February 6, 1783.

ADMIRABLE CRICHTON.

This most extraordinary man derived his appellation from his numerous and wonderful endowments. He lived in the time of James I. He spoke fluently every known language; he was versed in every science, and skilled in every accomplishment. He challenged to disputation the whole College of Cardinals, and almost every public and learned body in Europe, and bore off the palm! The Duke of Mantua was his patron, and appointed him preceptor to his son, who,

envious of his merits, with the assistance of others, waylaid, and mortally wounded him. He, however, as well as the other assassins, paid with their lives the forfeit of their temerity, Crichton killing every one of them.

PEEPING TOM OF COVENTRY.

Peeping Tom, a person of nearly as much notoriety as the Countess Godiva, and an auxiliary in the drama under that denomination, derives his importance from the following historical circumstance. In the early part of the reign of Edward the Confessor, Leofric, the fifth Earl of Mercia, and his countess Godiva, sister to Thorold, sheriff of Lincolnshire, founded a monastery on the ruins of St. Osburg's nunnery for an abbot and twenty-four monks of the Benedictine order. This monastery was so liberally endowed by Leofric, that it surpassed all others in the county in splendour and magnificence; so that Malmsbury relates, that it was enriched and beautified with so much gold and silver, that the walls seemed too narrow to contain it; insomuch that Rob de Limesie, bishop of this diocese in the time of King William Rufus, scraped from one beam that supported the shrines five hundred marks of silver.

With the foundation of its monastic structure commenced the prosperity of Coventry; but it seems the city had yet to complain of the grievance of

excessive tolls, which Leofric, as lord of the town, levied; and concerning the manner in which they were relieved from it, is told a romantic tale, which Dugdale thus relates :-The Countess Godiva, bearing an extraordinary affection to this place, often and earnestly besought her husband, that for the love of God, and the blessed Virgin, he would free it from that grievous servitude whereunto it was subject; but he, rebuking her for importuning him in a matter so inconsistent with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish pertinacity, continued to solicit him; insomuch that he told her, if she would ride on horseback, naked, from one end of the town to the other, in the sight of all the people, he would grant her request. Whereunto she answered, But will you give me leave so to do? And he replying yes, the noble lady upon an appointed day got on horseback, naked, with her hair loose, so that it covered all her body but her legs, and thus performing the journey, returned with joy to her husband, who therefore granted to the inhabitants a charter of freedom, which immunity I rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from some such servile tenure, whereby they then held what they had under this. great earl, than only a freedom from all manner of toll, except horses, as Knighton affirms. It is said by Rapin, that the countess, previous to her riding,

commanded all persons to keep within doors, and from their windows, on pain of death; but notwithstanding this severe penalty, there was one person who could not forbear giving a look, out of curiosity; but it cost him his life. From this circumstance, reader, originated the familiar epithet of "Peeping Tom of Coventry." A figure, commemorative of the peeper, has long been preserved there, and is now inserted in the niche of a new house, communicating with the High Street.

JACK OF NEWBURY.

This title was given to John Winchcomb, who was in the time of Henry VIII. the greatest clothier in England. He kept one hundred looms in his own house at Newbury, and armed and clothed at his own expense one hundred of his men, to march in the expedition against the Scots at Flodden Field.

THE TRIBES OF GALWAY.

The "Tribes of Galway" is an expression first used by Cromwell's forces, as a term of reproach against the natives of the town, for their singular friendship and attachment to each other during the time of their troubles and persecutions; but which the latter afterwardsa dopted as an honourable mark

of distinction between themselves and their cruel oppressors. These tribes or families, who colonised Galway in the thirteenth century, were thirteen in number, according to the following distich :—

"Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Deane, Darcy, Lynch, Joyes, Kirwan, Martin, Morris, Skerrett, French."

See Hardman's "History of Galway," 4to, 1820, which contains a plate of the armorial ensigns of these ancient families.

CURSE OF SCOTLAND.

The nine of diamonds being termed the “Curse of Scotland," originates from a Scotch member, whose family arms was the nine of diamonds, voting for the introduction of the Malt Tax into Scotland.—Another version states, that the nine of diamonds is called the "Curse of Scotland," because it is the great winning card at comette, which was a game introduced into Scotland by the French attendants of Mary of Lorraine, queen of James V., to the ruin of many Scotch families.

GOOD OLD TIMES.

It has been supposed by many, that this phrase is of uncertain date, and that it has been made use of, as it were, from time immemorial. In "Godwin's History of the Commonwealth," however, we are in